Chimney-fire extinguisher



July 2, 1929. s. l.. Hom- E'r AL CHIMNEY FIRE EXTINGUISHER Filed may 2o,1926 Patented July 2, 1929.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE. i

STEPHEN I.. Horn.' .Aun GUY H. KIMEALL, oFB-OWDOINHAM, MAINE.

arruinar-FIRE nx'rrueursnna.

Application led May 20,

This invention relates to devices for eX- tinguishing chimney fires andthe general object of the invention is to provide a tank mounted inconnectionf with the chimney and having thereon a valve normally heldclosed by any suitable fusible means so arranged that when the heat inthe chimney rises above a predetermined point the fusible means willfuse, releasing the valve and permitting it to open and discharge thecontents of the tank in the form of a spray into the chimney.

Qur invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein Figure1 is a vertical section of a flue with my sprinkler applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a vertical diametrical section of the valve closed;

Fig. 3 is a like view but showing the yalve open; i

Fig. 4 is a plan view of disk 19;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the spider.

Referring to these drawings designates a tank of any suitable or usualconstruction and mounted in any suitable manner eXteri0rly to thechimney. This tank might be mounted in an attic, for instance, ormounted outside of the house upon the chimney. The tank is provided witha filling opening 11 controlled by a float valve 12 which will permitthe tank to be lled and when the tank-v is iilled, the valve 12 willhave risen to a point where it will close the filling opening. A hangeror hangers 13 may be used for supporting the tank.

Extending from the bottom of the tank is a pipe 14 which extends intothe chimney. The end of this pipe is provided with an elbow 15 andcarried upon this elbow is a spray head 16 of any suitable or usualconstruction. Disposed within the spray head is a valve 17 having a stem18 which carries at its lower end a disk 19. This valve 17 normallyprevents any outlet of liquid from the elbow 15. This valve isv disposedwith an annular housing 2() which is detachably engaged with the cap 21in turn engaged with the extremity of the elbow. The member 2O is heldto the cap 21 by means of bayonet slots and pins. The

valve 17 and the disk 19 are held in a raised position by means of twoopposed springs 22, each mounted upon the member and urged in oppositedirections by their own resilience. Vhen the valve is closed and undernormal circumstances, these springs are engaged with each other at theirfree ends by means of a fusible rivet or by soldering. The fusible 192e.serial No. 110,534'.

rivet or the solder is adapted to melt at a temperature of approximately180o or at any other desired temperature.

In the operation of this device, when the heat within the chimney risesbeyond the predetermined point, the fusible connection between thesprings melts, and the springs spring outward to the position shown inFigure 3, and the pressure of water within the tank will cause the valve17 to descend against the spider 23 and will cause the liquid dischargedfrom pipe 14 to be sprayed uniformly downward through the chimney. Whilethe tank 10 may be iilled with water, it is obvious that various fireextinguishing chemicals may be mixed with this water and thus dischargedi nto the chimney.

We are aware that prior to our invention it has been proposed to use aliquid tank with a spray head connected thereto and disposed within achimney but in all the devices known to me a manually operated valve hasbeen used for the purpose of discharging liquid through the spray head.Thus these constructions are not automatic in their action and, as aconsequence, if a lire should occur in a chimney while the the apparatuswould not act. With our de vice, however, the sprayer is operated assoon as the heat within the chimney rises above the predetermined degreeand thus the device operates whether the occupants of the house are homeor not and will operate just as well at night as during the day.

A very large proportion of lires in the country have their origin inoverheated china neys or in burning soot. With our construction just assoon as the chimney becomes overheated thev sprayer operates to drenchthe interior of the chimney and put out the fire.

l/Ve do not wish to be limited to any particular means for sprayingwater upon the fire nor to any particular fusible spray head for thispurpose. We have found, however, that the head illustrated and describedoperates very eifectively. We have also found by actual practice thatthis device will put out even a severe chimney tire and thus will be ofparticular value in country districts.

We claim The combination with a pipe, head engaged with the pipe andlarger than thesame and opening downwardly, a vertically movable valvedisposed below the pipe and within the spray head and having a dcpendingstem terminating in a disk, the valve of a spray occupants are away,

and disk being normally disposed Within the spray head, and meansnormally holding said valve Closed and including tWo resilient arms,

CII

the resilience of the :arms urging them to a position entirely exteriorof the spray head, the arms normally7 engaging said'disk and beingloverlapped at their extremities beneath the disk, and fusiblemeansholding said arms signatures.

STEPHEN L. HOLT. GUY H. KIMBALL.

